The present invention is concerned with apparatus for assembling an automotive radiator core or subassembly in which a plurality of tubes extend in uniformly spaced, parallel relationship between and through a pair of spaced, parallel stamped aluminum headers which are interconnected into a rectangular, peripheral frame by side frame members secured to and extending between the ends of the headers. Cooling fins in the form of an elongate, zigzag strip of metal are engaged between adjacent tubes and between the endmost tubes and the adjacent side frame members.
The tubes are of an elongate, flattened, transverse cross-section and, when assembled, the flat sides of adjacent tubes are in opposed, facing relationship and the fin is clamped to extend back and forth between the opposed sides of adjacent tubes. In order to initially insert a fin between a pair of adjacent tubes, it is desirable that the tubes be spaced from each other by a distance somewhat greater than the transverse width of the fin which is formed from a relatively thin metal strip and must be handled quite carefully. After the fins and tubes have been loosely arranged in side-by-side relationship, movement of the side frame members of the core assembly laterally toward each other may be empolyed to compress the loose tube-fin assembly to reduce the spacing between adjacent tubes to a point where the fins are firmly clamped between the tubes and side frame assemblies. This compressing action is also employed to line up the individual tubes with the tube receiving openings in the headers.
The present invention is especially directed to apparatus for facilitating the last-described insertion and initial clamping of the fins between the tubes and aligning the tubes with openings in the headers.